S P O T L I G H T

Militant held
From Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Jan 17 — The Delhi police today claimed to have aborted a militant plan to cause explosions during the Republic Day celebrations in the Capital with the arrest of a militant of the Al-Badr outfit. The militant, Masood-ul-Haq alias Abu Hararay (32), a resident of Gujranwala in Pakistan, was arrested from Kauriyapul in North Delhi yesterday, while the militant was waiting for his accomplice to handover explosives to him, the police said. The police seized 920 gms of RDX, one fuse wire and detonator from him.

4 killed in attack on MLA’s house
PATNA, Jan 17 (PTI) — Four persons were killed in an exchange of fire following an attack on the house of Ms Vibha Devi, Independent MLA from Bihar, in Bittha village of Purnea district late last night, the state DGP, Mr R.R. Prasad said today. Assailants belonging to the Shanker Singh gang attacked Ms Vibha Devi’s house, wife of ganglord Avadhesh Mandal, killing two persons. In the retaliatory fire, two assailants were killed, Mr Prasad said.

Death sentence
AURANGABAD, Jan 17 (PTI) — A local court has awarded death sentence to a Naxalite and life imprisonment to 12 others for killing a farmer in the district in 1997. Additional District and Sessions Judge, P.K. Srivastava announced the sentence yesterday.

Bihar bandh
PATNA, Jan 17 (UNI) — A call by eight Left parties for a dawn-to-dusk general strike in Bihar today against the Centre’s agriculture policies evoked a mixed response. Around 1,000 supporters of the strike were detained in different parts of the state.